President Bachelet: “We are all responsible for ensuring that the international system functions as it should.”

The President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, took part this afternoon in the XVIII Grotius Lecture, which marked the beginning of the 110^th Annual Meeting of the American Society of International Law (ASIL).

The President addressed various topics related to the global situation affecting countries around the world, saying, “the key to a prosperous world is ensuring peace and security. These concepts are enshrined in the United Nations Charter”.

This series of lectures, which are named in honor of jurist Hugo Grotius, one of the fathers of international law, is a product of the collaboration of ASIL and the American University Law School in Washington, D.C. It provides an opportunity to reflect on continually shifting borders, the world, and law. It also serves as a space for promoting new ways of thinking about the challenges posed by the current global context.

During her remarks, the President referred to recent acts of terror, saying “International Humanitarian Law subjects military operations to strict rules, protecting those who are not participants in the hostilities. No just cause can justify the violation of these international codes of conduct; no just cause can justify terrorism”.

President Bachelet also referred to the reality faced by millions of refugees around the world, particularly those from Syria, emphasizing that, “as a global community, we must do much more to help the victims, mobilize the international community, and alleviate the consequences of these conflicts. We should not accept what we are witnessing as something ‘normal.’”

She continued, “the causes of our prolonged inability to achieve peace and security are many, and they include the lack of agreement in a Security Council that needs reform, the emergence of new players who do not feel obliged to follow the norms regarding the use of force, and the broad interpretation of the rules of self-defense”.

President Bachelet also highlighted the progress made in the international sphere, such as the agreement reached last year on climate change at the Conference of the Parties (COP21). “We met in Paris in order to create a new and encouraging path to slow down and, in the long run, reverse climate change. This was a notable result that reflects the commitment of all nations to address the most important challenge of the environment and development,” she said.

The President stated that, “international law has created a strong universal story of human dignity that includes due process, the rule of law, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, the principle of non-discrimination and other civil and political rights as well as economic, social, and cultural rights”.

She continued, “we are all responsible for ensuring that the international system functions as it should. One essential element is the principle of adherence to international law, which includes strict respect for treaties as a means of guaranteeing peace and international stability.”

She added, “this requires respect for agreements that have been made and refraining from misusing the mechanisms that were designed to peacefully resolve differences that can arise. The abuse of international courts through artificial demands could contribute towards eroding the existing mechanisms.”

As she brought her remarks to a close, the President said, “international law has depended on the will of those governed and that observance depends on the just conduct of those who are subject to its norms. This is why my country has enshrined in our Political Constitution the convergence of the aforementioned principles, which ensure that Chile will meet its international obligations”.

“These are the old and new challenges that international law poses to our States. These beliefs and commitments must guide our work and our duty to build a better world, a world in which there is more balance between development and the conservation of our environment, more justice, cohesion, and equality in our societies and among our nations”, she said.